The State of Society in France Before the Revolution of 1789 (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. The Cause of RevolutionBy Alexis de Tocqueville
Length17h 24m
About this audiobook
In The State of Society in France Before the Revolution of 1789, Alexis de Tocqueville examines the institutional, social, and administrative conditions that made revolutionary upheaval both possible and paradoxically continuous with the Old Regime. Written in a lucid, analytical prose that combines historical narrative with political sociology, the work situates prerevolutionary France within the broader nineteenth-century effort to understand modernity, centralization, and democratic transformation. Tocqueville's argument is subtle: the Revolution did not simply destroy absolutism, but often intensified habits of bureaucratic uniformity already deeply embedded in French society. Tocqueville, born into an aristocratic family marked by the traumas of the French Revolution, brought to this inquiry both personal inheritance and intellectual discipline. His earlier study of American democracy sharpened his comparative method, enabling him to see France's path as neither inevitable nor accidental. As a liberal thinker wary of both despotism and mass conformity, he sought to uncover how social equality, administrative power, and political incapacity converged before 1789. This book is highly recommended for readers interested in revolutionary history, political thought, and the origins of the modern state. It rewards those who seek not dramatic chronicle, but penetrating explanation.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- An Author Biography reveals milestones in the author's life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★★ 4.6 (1.2K)
Includes Amazon
GenreHistory
Length17 hrs 24 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateJan 2, 2019
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
24Chapter X.
2Introduction
25Chapter XI.
3Synopsis
26Chapter XII.
4Historical Context
27Chapter XIII.
5Author Biography
28Chapter XIV.
Show all chaptersShow less
6Translator’s Preface
29Chapter XV.
7Preliminary Notice
30Chapter XVI.
8BOOK I.
31Chapter XVII.
9Chapter I.
32Chapter XVIII.
10Chapter II.
33Chapter XIX.
11Chapter III.
34Chapter XX.
12Chapter IV.
35BOOK III.
13Chapter V.
36Chapter I.
14BOOK II.
37Chapter II.
15Chapter I.
38Chapter III.
16Chapter II.
39Chapter IV.
17Chapter III.
40Chapter V.
18Chapter IV.
41Chapter VI.
19Chapter V.
42Chapter VII. (pt. 1)
20Chapter VI.
43Chapter VII. (pt. 2)
21Chapter VII.
44Analysis
22Chapter VIII.
45Reflection
23Chapter IX.
46Memorable Quotes
More from Alexis de Tocqueville
L'ancien régime et la révolution (Annoté)Alexis de Tocqueville10h 15m4.0 (1.1K)$1.99 · $0.00
La democracia en AméricaAlexis de Tocqueville2h 17m4.2 (34.6K)$9 · $0.00
The State of Society in France Before the Revolution of 1789Alexis de Tocqueville15h 47m4.3 (12.1K)$2 · $0.00
The Recollections of Alexis de TocquevilleAlexis de Tocqueville9h 25m4.2 (326)$2 · $0.00
American Institutions and Their InfluenceAlexis de Tocqueville23h 28m4.2 (81)$1 · $0.00
100 sitater fra Alexis de TocquevilleAlexis de Tocqueville30m$5 · $0.00
100 citas de Alexis de TocquevilleAlexis de Tocqueville32m$5 · $0.00
100 citat från Alexis de TocquevilleAlexis de Tocqueville30m$5 · $0.00
100 citazioni di Alexis il TocquevilleAlexis de Tocqueville30m$5 · $0.00
A Brief History of IntelligenceMax S. Bennett12h 18m4.6 (6.6K)$29 · $0.00
Ghosts of HiroshimaCharles Pellegrino8h 59m4.5 (877)$23
The Daughter of AuschwitzTova Friedman, Malcolm Brabant7h 54m4.6 (16.7K)$26 · $0.00
Lily's PromiseLily Ebert, Dov Forman8h 54m4.6 (16.1K)$29 · $0.00
On Democracies and Death CultsDouglas Murray10h 38m4.6 (6.5K)$29 · $0.00
Across the RiverKent Babb11h 40m4.6 (927)$29 · $0.00
Balcony Over Jerusalem: A Middle East Memoir - Israel, Palestine and BeyondJohn Lyons12h 37m4.6 (1.4K)$33 · $0.00
BeyondStephen Walker15h 39m4.6 (3.2K)$33 · $0.00
Kings and PawnsHoward Bryant10h 9m4.6 (678)$29 · $0.00
No EscapeNury Turkel9h 30m4.6 (809)$28 · $0.00
Jubal Stone: U.S. Marshal: Blood Trail To Hell: A Western Adventure NovelCasey Nash3h 42m4.6 (3.2K)$18 · $0.00
Fall and RiseMitchell Zuckoff17h 23m4.6 (9.8K)$40 · $0.00
The SurvivorJosef Lewkowicz, Michael Calvin9h 22m4.6 (2.5K)$29 · $0.00
Always FaithfulThomas Schueman, Zainullah Zaki12h 12m4.6 (977)$29 · $0.00
All the Gallant MenDonald Stratton, Ken Gire5h 55m4.6 (11.8K)$24 · $0.00
Medgar and MyrlieJoy-Ann Reid10h 52m4.5 (27.8K)$29 · $0.00
The History of the Peloponnesian War (Annotated)Thucydides24h 3m4.6 (1.1K)$2 · $0.00
Where the Birds Never SingJack Sacco10h 31m4.6 (3.8K)$29 · $0.00
Serviceman J: The Untold Story of an NZSAS SoldierJamie Pennell5h 51m4.6 (452)$24 · $0.00
Valley of the BirdtailAndrew Stobo Sniderman, Douglas Sanderson10h 1m4.6 (2.4K)$29 · $0.00
You may also like
Rousseau and RevolutionWill Durant, Ariel Durant57h 17m4.4 (4.6K)$30
The Essential Works of Thomas Paine (Annotated)Thomas Paine77h 19m4.3 (2.4K)$2 · $0.00
The PrinceNiccolo Machiavelli3h 10m4.0 (468.6K)$3.50 · $0.00
The Constitution of the United States and The Declaration of IndependenceDelegates of The Constitutional Convention1h 7m4.6 (12.3K)Free
The PrinceNiccolò Machiavelli4h 56m4.0 (412.9K)$4 · $0.00
The Republic (Annotated)Plato25h 27m4.1 (261K)$2 · $0.00
The Age of NapoleonWill Durant, Ariel Durant44h 29m4.5 (1.6K)$30
The French RevolutionIan Davidson11h 52m3.9 (2.4K)$23
The PrinceNiccolo Machiavelli3h 18m4.0 (417K)$5 · $0.00
Four Lectures on the English RevolutionThomas Hill Green2h 57m$2 · $0.00
The Hellenistic AgeJ. B. Bury, E.A. Barber, Edwyn Bevan, W.W. Tarn4h 23m4.0 (54)$1.99 · $0.00
Rococo. Discover the beauty of RococoKlaus H. Carl, Victoria Charles1h 24m3.4 (41)$13 · $0.00
Richard Wagner and His Poetical Work, from "Rienzi" to "Parsifal"Judith Gautier2h 26m$2 · $0.00
The Book of Trinity College Dublin 1591-1891Ireland) Trinity College (Dublin12h 43m$1 · $0.00
Historical and Political EssaysWilliam Edward Hartpole Lecky11h 24m$2 · $0.00
Magna Carta, and Other AddressesWilliam D. Guthrie8h 17m$2 · $0.00
Renaissance PaintingsVictoria Charles2h 51m4.2 (22)$15 · $0.00
Conventional Lies of our Civilization (Annotated)Max Simon Nordau12h 6m2.9 (27)$1.99 · $0.00
Renaissance PaintingsVictoria Charles2h 46m4.3 (19)$15 · $0.00
Ireland under the Stuarts and During the Interregnum (Vol.1-3) (Annotated)Richard Bagwell40h 40m$1.99 · $0.00